For twenty years I've been buying fabrics and yarns, all the while daydreaming about the beautiful and perfectly coordinating wardrobe I would make. It is time to put in the sweat, blood and tears that will make this happen...

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08 January 2014

A coat that will stop traffic, Vogue 8548

The phrase "stop traffic" means to command attention. Few things have that sort of power. Things like:

A traffic agent

a traffic cone,

or a beautiful woman.

Imagine then the effect of a beautiful woman wearing a traffic cone!

Oh, the folly! I adore my new coat, even though I don't think I dare to wear this out in public, sober Dutch public, mind you.

It actually falls under the category of a wearable muslin. The pattern is Vogue 8548, which I had been wanting to try for a while. I especially wondered if I could make that wide collar stand out as it should, and whether it was practical to wear for real.

The fabric is a mid-quality wool double cloth remnant that I picked up for $20 at the fabric market. Up close you can see that the fabric nap is not as dense as in the high-end versions. But it does have a robust hand and that was precisely what I was hoping to try. I've always admired what people like Geoffrey Beene can do with this type of fabric, but had never tried to sew it up myself. This remnant offered the perfect no-worry opportunity.

The technical details are in my review of Vogue 8548 at Pattern Review. Here instead I'll tell you that sewing this as a wearable muslin was a fantastic experience. It freed me to try new techniques, like a fused hem (I know, don't wince, it's just a muslin, remember?) and to practice old ones, like topstitching.

Plus, once I embraced the folly of my traffic cone jacket, I just kept on going...

Wait, is that...? Yup, that is a carnival-print lining! Sure! Because why not? (and it truly was the best match from my stash, I swear).

9 comments:

Oh I love love love it - it's just too good to be true - a human traffic cone with carnival lining! I do hope you get over your self consciousness about this coat and wear it heaps. It'll brighten up your day and everyone else - just what everyone needs in the middle of winter.

Thanks Tia Dia, indeed what's with all the dark coats? I inherited some lovely ones from my mom but all in navy, black or grey. Wait, now that I think of it, she had many bright scarves... hmmm why didn't I put two and two together before? How funny, thanks for the insight! :-)

Thanks Paola, I am working up the courage to wear it. With our grey winters, I might just be ready in another week or two. And good to know another Lucia :-) in Spanish we have a word for this: two people with the same name are "tocayas". I wonder if such a word exists in other languages?

I have made this coat pattern. I really like it except that it doesn't have pockets. I thought briefly about going back and adding inseam pockets. Never did it, I like the orange color of your coat. Perfect when you just want to wear something bright and cheery on a cold winter's day. Nice wearable muslin.

About Me

I am a fabricholic with an enormous stash accumulated over 20+ years. I finally have a dedicated sewing room so I've run out of excuses. This blog is a means to find the discipline I need to make my dream wardrobe a reality!